Recently, we worked with a client to develop their 2011 promotional plan. We began with the holiday weeks, as they are obviously much easier to plan than the non-holiday weeks. When we got to the Memorial Day ad, we started off by talking about promoting the usual summer suspects: ground beef, poultry, ribs, melons, sweet corn, soda and the like. Then I recalled a Memorial Day cover page ad we created several years ago to commemorate what this holiday is actually about. The ad honored America’s brave men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice in service of their country.

Every year we get calls from retailers asking for help for a “special anniversary ad.” Normally the special ads are for the 20th, 30th, 40th, or 50th anniversary. Maybe even a 90th anniversary!

Why wait 10 years between anniversaries to celebrate?